


Battle Scars

by SherlyWats



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Set After Season 3, written for self-indulgence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 03:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20167540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlyWats/pseuds/SherlyWats
Summary: Just me trying to play around with my OC's dynamic with Steve. I also figured given all the dangerous stuff these guys get up to that it's only fitting that somebody has some lasting wounds.





	Battle Scars

There was a muffle of voices from another room of the house. The group of kids April had somehow ended up tangled up with were arguing. She however couldn't make out the specifics over the hammering in her own skull. She made to reach up her hand to touch at her forehead, but found she couldn't move it. A tiny fluttering of panic set in momentarily before her brown eyes landed on the reason. Half slumped over her off his chair was Steve Harrington, fast asleep. His own arm and part of his head resting over her arm. 

"Welcome back." She heard another voice whisper from the other side of the bed. Her gaze caught on Dustin who's head she could only just see over the bed as he sat cross legged on the floor.

"What-"

"What happened? You took a full hit from a Demogorgon to the face which was pretty awesome!" As his voice picked up in his retelling Steve stirred slightly. "Sorry." He whispered. "Steve here passed out before you did I think." He snickered softly.

She recalled the encounter though only in fragments. The monster had broken through the door of the new Byers house with such ease. Eleven had tried and failed to push it away and then Steve . . . Steve had stepped in with a nail embedded baseball bat. He'd hit it. It didn't hit hard enough though and the bat broke. It was going to attack him and... In some crazy spur of . . . panic? She'd leapt to try and get Steve out of the way. She had succeeded but been partly hit herself in the attempt. After that everything was blank.

"Did we kill it?" She asked, the tension in her chest managing to swallow up the pain in her face.

"Eleven did." Dustin smiled.

Steve stirred one more, his head slowly raising from her side. 

"That's my queue." In a flash Dustin was up and out of the room.

"How long was I out?" Steve questioned as he straightened up in his seat. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, but she caught a redness there she knew wasn't from sleep.

"Depends. How long was I out?" April pondered back, trying to give him a small smile only to realize it hurt to do so. "That thing really did a number on me huh?"

"Uh, uh no no you'll be fine. It's not that bad." He stumbled over his words, still not awake enough to be convincing.

"Steve."

"It's pretty bad."

"Can I see?" The question came out before she could really process it.

"Only if you promise not to freak out."

"I'm not going to freak out sheesh."

"Alright." He leaned back his chair and fumbling to the point of almost falling over managed to grab a hand mirror off the dresser.

Steve held it out for her to see and her breath caught for a moment. Though there were bandages over some of the area the left side of her face had three massive scars. Her jaw clenched tightly to fight back water welling at her eyes.

"Stupid." She whispered.

"What?" He set the mirror back and leaned in to better hear her.

"So stupid. I'm here with you all in this... this mess! Saving the world or whatever and I see that and all I can think is my career is over." A harsh laugh escaped her lips that hurt upon exit and she winced. She didn't fully notice the way Steve had gripped at her hand in that instant. "It's so stupid. How could I care about that when this is going on?" She continued, glancing at him for an answer.

"It's not stupid." He started to say and she gave him a look that had him reconsidering his phrasing. "What I mean is. This entire situation is insane. Like actually insane. So why wouldn't you focus on something that's more..."

"Normal."

"Yeah, yeah normal." The repetition seemed to quaver. "But it's... you'll..." He continued to trail off lost in what he was trying to get across.

"It's not that bad?" Her guess at his words held a harshness to it that she regretted.

"No. It's bad-" They caught eyes and he could tell she was just as shocked as he was that he'd admitted to it. "it's bad but, it doesn't matter. You're amazing and funny without it so why should it matter? If those producers don't want you any more because of this what do they know. I mean Dungeons and Demons-"

"Dragons."

"Right dragons. It's all about adventuring and stuff so you should have a few battle scars right? And if they don't think so screw them. You're just as gorgeous with them as you were without them." It seemed to dawn on him suddenly what he had just admitted and he suddenly started to fumble his point again. "What I mean to say is, in general you're pretty like-"

"Steve. Stop talking."

"Right."

The presence of his hand grasping her's was suddenly causing a heat to rise in her cheeks. Yet she returned the grip all the same causing his darting eyes to make wary contact once more. The movement was slow. He leaned down to meet her level, his face hovering just above hers. 

"It wont hurt, right?" The question fanned warm breath over her face.

"Just kiss me already." A soft smile spread across her face and she craned her neck to close the gap. It was soft and quick, but sent off a cacophony insider her.

"Dude Steve, gross!" Dustin's voice suddenly came in harshly and with it the bickering of the other children halted. All of them turning to peer around Dustin in the doorway at them. 

"Alright twerps." Steve pulled away, standing quickly from his chair to chase Dustin from the door, the other's scattering as well as he ran into the other room.


End file.
